Brink of Madness
by Epsilon Zeta
Summary: A day in the life of an assistant to a powerful evincar turns into something else when memories of Li Syaoran's life is triggered just before the execution of a green-eyed girl. A Yawgmoth story.


Author's Notes: My first Yawgmoth story to help explain some things you'll be seeing in future Strider seasons.  
  
Disclaimers: Cardcaptor Sakura belong to CLAMP. Other stuff belongs to Wizards of the Coast. I don't own anything.   
  
Brink of Madness  
  
The gong rang, signaling the start of the day shift. I was eager to start my job as one of Davvol's assistants. Before I could leave the mess hall, a security officer grabbed me and placed my Chime of Night into my palm. "You have to carry this at all times. Remember this next time, will ya?" I nodded before heading out. For some reason, everybody who worked for Davvol carried these instruments. Some sort of law created by the Evincar Council of Rath.   
  
"Let's see here...you graduated from Terisiare Institute with honours in sorceric biology. You also had some experience with Doctor Gatha and Volrath...impressive." Davvol always had a habit of reviewing the records of new workers. "It will take some time to find a suitable post for you but for today, you'll stick by me. Is that all right, Mr. Xiaolan?"  
  
I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that always comes up when I hear my name. For some reason, I never really felt that Xiaolan was really my name although that's the name that I've been raised with. I always thought there was another name that sounded similar but totally different. "Yes, sir."  
  
He smiled. "Just call me Davvol." We departed the office and started to walk to the laboratory where new skirges (technically, they are called imps) are raised. The scientists were working on getting the young skirges to fly. "Good morning, gentlemen." They all turned and gave hellos. One of the scientists was in the incubation chamber with the skirges. A bug landed on his nose. All of a sudden, he started screaming as the skirges all flew to his head to try and devour the bug.  
  
I scratched my head. "Shouldn't somebody help him?" Davvol leaned towards me to whisper something. "Hunger is a kind of madness. Here, all madness flourishes." After the skirges finished killing the scientist, their wings started to flap rapidly and they remained in the air. Cheers started to fill the observation area we were in. "It took us three lives but these guys are now officially flying!!!"  
  
Davvol grinned. "Excellent!! They shall help to stop the Skyshroud rebellion!! And after we win the war, we shall cook the skirges for a giant feast!" I gave him a look of disbelief. "These guys are edible?" The evincar nodded. "If they are properly seasoned, they can be quite delicious."  
  
After observing interrogations and torture of Skyshroud elves, we left for lunch. It was Thursday so the mess hall served several dishes made from rat. Davvol took one bite and sighed. "For all the priceless tomes they have destroyed, one would think they would taste better." I shrugged. "Everything to these types of rats is simply another meal."  
  
We spent some time looking at some horrors that had just been bred. Davvol gave a grin. "This monstrosity will do...for now." We also studied statistics on how the Skyshroud soil is being destroyed. Davvol was quite unhappy with the results. "The rate of spread in this region is unacceptable. Start again."  
  
After a brief dinner, we headed towards the operation room to watch an implantation of a spinal graft into three elf children. I asked Davvol if it was really worth it. "After all, they can barely do anything to aid Skyshroud." Davvol gave a smirk. "These are no ordinary children. They caused quite a few problems so we will be televising this event to set an example...and show the world the fate of the elves of Skyshroud who fight against the Evincars of Rath."  
  
I laid eyes on the three children for the first time. They were all girls. One had orange eyes to reflect the fire within. One had gray eyes to represent intelligence. The third had emerald eyes that could make any man drown. For some reason, I felt some sort of connection with them...like I knew them from somewhere else. "Begin the operation." Before I knew it, screams filled the room as the surgeons got to work. "This is wrong..." Davvol gave me a glare. "I beg your pardon?" I pointed to the three screaming elves. "I think I know them from somewhere."  
  
"Impossible. You have never ventured into Skyshroud before." Flashes of some different memories came across my mind. "They're not from Skyshroud!! They come from somewhere else. I think I came from that same place too!!" Davvol sighed. "You must be under a lot of pressure. I suggest that you go to sleep and you'll forget all about this delusion." He walked over to the surgeon who was working on the green-eyed elf child. "This one has not screamed enough to show effective implantation. Kill her." The last thing I remember was screaming her name. "SAKURA!!!!!"  
  
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"Damn...he slipped into unconsciousness before we could finish the procedure." The priest looked above at the praetor. "It would have went smoother if you came up with a better name for him. Xiaolan practically rhymes with Syaoran!!!!" The priest started sputtering apologies.   
  
"Forget it. Set up the next program for the grafted skullcap. Instead of a look at the origin of skirges and the Skyshroud rebellion, we should show him the mutations the first Yawgmoth priest went under when he harnessed the power of the skirges. I'll leave that task up to you." The priest started typing up a program. "With all due respect, Master Gix, is there even a possibility of breaking the boy?"  
  
Gix snorted. "Humans are fragile. He will break. He cannot keep up the battle for both his sanity and memory much longer. However, his resistance is a key point as to why we decided that he is worthy of our works." The Yawgmoth praetor leaned to face the unconscious Li Syaoran. "Every day, you fight for your sanity and win. Every night, you fight for your memory and lose. Let go of your mind. Mine is fitter." Moments later, the corridors echoed with the praetor's evil laughter.  
  
  
Not too bad for my first Yawgmoth story. Tell me what you think and review!!   



End file.
